Client Portal vs Shared Drive: Why You Should Switch

Many businesses start by sharing Google Drive folders or Dropbox links with clients. It's free, everyone knows how to use it, and it works — until it doesn't.

Here's why a dedicated client portal is worth the investment.

The problem with shared drives

No access control per client. With Google Drive, you're sharing folders. If you accidentally drop the wrong file into a shared folder, your client sees it. There's no row-level filtering, no role-based views, and no way to show different data to different clients from the same source.

No branding. Your clients see Google's UI, not yours. For agencies and consultancies that sell on professionalism, this undermines the experience.

No tracking. Did the client open the file? Did they read the proposal? You have no idea. With a portal, you get analytics on what clients access and when.

No structure. Shared drives are just folders and files. A portal can include tasks, messaging, invoicing, status updates, and forms — everything in one place.

What a portal adds

• Branded experience — your logo, your domain, your colors
• Per-client views — each client only sees their data
• Engagement tracking — know when clients log in and what they view
• Beyond files — tasks, messages, invoices, and forms in one place
• Professionalism — signals that you're organized and invested in the relationship

When a shared drive is fine

Not every business needs a portal. If you're sharing a few files with one or two clients and don't need branding or tracking, Google Drive is fine. Don't over-engineer it.

When to upgrade

Consider a portal when: - You have more than 5 active clients and struggle to keep folders organized - You need different views per client from the same data source - You want to track client engagement with your deliverables - You're an agency or consultancy where presentation matters - You're spending too much time on manual status update emails

Getting started

The easiest way to start is with a tool that connects to your existing data. If you're already using Airtable, try Softr or Noloco. If you want an all-in-one solution, look at Assembly or SuiteDash.